Barrel-hoop.



H. LLOYD.- BABRBL HOOP. APPLICATION HLED MAB..30, 1912.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

INVENTOR fi f/l ffl [40/0,

WIT/ 8858 Q. 6.71M

ATTORNEYS HE NORRIS PETERS CO), PHDTO-LITHO". WASHINGTON. D. C

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HENRY LLOYD, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

BARREL-HOOP.

' Application filed March 30 To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY LLOYD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved Barrel-Hoop, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in hoops,

' and has for its object, the provision of a device of the character specified, wherein means is provided for permitting the circumference of the hoop to be varied, within wide limits, but with small successive increments, or decrements, without impairlng the strength of the hoop, and with a comparatively small number of openings in the hoop strip.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of the ends of a hoop constructed in accordance with the invention, showing one adjustment; Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing other adjustments; and, Fig. 4: is a perspective View of the hoop. V

The improved hoops are of metal, and are especially adapted for tobacco hogsheads, although it is evident that they may be used for other purposes. The hoops are marketed incomplete, in that they are not connected at their ends, being merely strips of metal, and in the usual procedure the holes or openings for the rivets are punched just before the hoops are placed. Two rivets are necessary to properly hold the ends of the hoop.

The improved hoops are cut of approximately the proper length, for the article upon which they are to be used, and each end A and B of the strip C forming the hoop is provided with a longitudinal series of openings, the openings of each series being spaced apart at equal. distances from each other.

y In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the end A of the hoop C is provided with a series of siX openings, designated by the reference characters aa,a a a a and a while the end B of the hoop is provided with a series of seven openings designated by the reference characters 6-5, 6 b b b 7), b". The openings in the end A are spaced apart from each other one inch, and the openings in the end B are spaced apart three-fourths of an inch. Taking the quarter inch as the unit, each pair of adjacent openings of end A is spaced apart four units, and each pair of adjacent openings in end-B is spaced Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915. 1912. Serial no. 687,319.

apart three units. On account of this manner of spacing, it will be evident that certain openings of the two series will register, namely those openings which are spaced apart from each other a number of units corresponding to the least common multiple of the numerals designating the number of units between the openings of the two series. The numerals in question are threeand four in the present instance, and their least common multiple is twelve. Thus every third opening of the series in end A will register with every fourth opening of the series in end B. .This will hold .whatever opening of either series is taken as a starting point. For instance if opening a of end Abe placed in register with opening I) of end B, then the opening Z) of end B will register with opening a of end A. This arrangement will give the largest possible hoop, While with opening a of end A in register with opening 6 of end B, the smallest possible hoop is, obtained. In the last mentioned arrangement opening a of end will register with opening 6 of end B. In Fig. 1 openings a and a are shown in register with openings 6 and b respectively. Should it be desired to increase the size of the hoop slightly above its size when arranged as above specified, the end A is moved to the right of Fig. l, or the end B to the left, one fourth of one inch. This movement brings opening a into register with opening 5 and opening a into register with opening 6 and the hoop s 1/4 inch larger, with two sets of registering openings for the rivets. Should the hoop be yet too small, the continued movement of the ends as above described another one fourth inch will bring openings (1 and a into register with openings 6' and b and the hoop is 1/2 inch larger with two sets of registering openings for the rivets. The enlarging of the hoop in this manner might continue indefinitely, as long as openings are provided, and there would always be two sets of upon the number of openings. It will be.

evident that an indefinite number of similar methods of spacing may be used. For instance, 1/8 inch could be taken as the unit, and five units, or 5/8 inch, for the spacing for end A, and four units, or 1/2 inch, for the spacing for end B. The least common multiple of 5 and 41- is 20, hence every 1th opening of the series A will register with, every 5th opening of the series B. With this spacing, independent adjustments of 1/8th inch may be made.

It will be evident that independent adjustments less than the diameter of the openings may be made, and this without impairing the strength of the hoop. For instance, in the example given in the preceding paragraph, the openings might be circular, and of greater diameter than 1/8 of an inch, without impairing the strength of the hoop through too close spacing of the openings in either end of the hoops. This illustrates a very important advantage attained by the invention.

It will be understood that there may be as many openings of each series as may be desired, the number depending upon the ex tent of adjustment desired. The spacing of the series will also be regulated by the fineness of adjustment required. If a very fine adjustment is necessary, it is convenient to make the units smaller, as for instance 1/16 inch, the spacing of the second series differing by 1 unit, or by 1/16 inch. In the above case the adjustment will be by l6ths of an inch. It will be understood that the smaller spacing should be such a number of units that there will be no danger, that the rivets with which the hoop is made will tear the metal between the openings. In other words, the fineness oI the adjustment depends upon the difference between the numerals designating the spacing of the two series, since this difference represents the distance necessary to move the hoop ends to bring another pair of openings into register. For instance, if the openings of the two series are spaced, three inches and two inches respectively, the adjustment is by inches, while if the sixteenth inch is the unit, and the difference is one sixteenth, the adjustment is by sixteenths. In other words, in all of the examples thus far considered, that is, those in which the spacings of the two series are multiples of a common unit, and differ from each other by one unit, the fineness of the adjustment depends upon the difference between the spacings (the unit), since this difference represents the distance necessary to move the hoop ends to bring another pair of openings into register. For instance, if the openings of the two series are spaced three inches and two inches, respectively. the adjustment is by inches, while if the spacings are respectively, 7/16 and 8/16 inch, the adjustment is by sixteenths of an inch.

lhe invention embraces a more general construction than any of those hereinbefor described. Of this more general construction, those described all come under a certain special case. In the general construction the spacings of the two series of openings are again multiples of a common unit, as in all the constructions herein before de scribed, but the differences between the spacings of the two series may be any multiple of the chosen unit, and not necessarily once that unit, as in all the constructions hereinbefore described. In this general construction, the adjustment is equal to that number of times the chosen unit which is the greatest common divisor of the two n1 morals which designate the two multiples of the unit which are, respectively, the spacings of the two series. For instance, it 1/16 inch is the chosen unit, and the spacings are, respectively 6/16 inch and 8/16 inch, the adjustment is by 2/16 inch, or, With the same unit, if the two spacings are, respectively, 6/16 inch and 9/16 inch, the adjustment is by 3/16 inch, or, with the same unit, if the spacings are respectively 6/16 inch and 11/16 inch, the adjustment is by 1/16 inch, or, with the same unit, if the spacings are, respectively, 3/16 inch and 5/16 inch, the adjustment is by 1/16 inch, and so on. That the adjustment in the gen eral construction is always the greatest common divisor of the spacings of the two series is capable of easy mathematical proof.

It will be understood that the improved hoops may be provided with openings throughout their length for receiving nails to hold them in position longitudinally of the barrel and to prevent lateral movement of a portion of the hoop. It is also obvious that it might be advisable especially in wide hoops to provide a plurality of series of openings at each end of the hoop in order that two or more rivets might be placed in alinement transversely of the hoop.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a hoop strip provided at each end with a longitudinal series of openings, the openings of the one series being spaced apart equally from each other a predetermined multiple of a predetermined unit, and the openings of the other series being spaced apart equally from each other a predetermined multiple of the before mentioned predetermined unit, the spacing of one series difiering from the spacing of the other series by the before mentioned predetermined unit.

2. As an article of manufacture, a hoop strip provided at each end with a longitudinal series of openings, the openings of one series being spaced apart equally from each other a predetermined multiple of a predetermined unit, and the openings of the other series being spaced apart equally from each other a predetermined multiple of the before-mentioned predetermined unit, the said multiples being prime to each other, that is, having no common factor, whereby when the ends are lapped upon each other, those openings of the two series will register which are spaced apart from each other that number of times the before mentioned predetermined unit which is the least common multiple of the two before mentioned predetermined multiples, and, starting from any position of registry, a longitudinal movement of one end over the other end equal to the before-mentioned predetermined unit, will result in a second position of registry.

3. As an article of manufacture, a hoop strip provided at each end with a longitudinal series of openings, the openings of the one series being spaced apart equally from each other a predetermined multiple of a predetermined unit, and the openings of the other series being spaced apart equally from each other a predetermined multiple of the before-mentioned predetermined unit, the said multiples being prime to each other, that is, having no common factor, and differing from each other by one, whereby when the ends are lapped upon each other, those openings of the two series will register which are spaced apart from each other that number of times the before-mentioned predetermined unit which is the least common multiple of the two before-mentioned predetermined multiples, and starting from any position of registry, a longitudinal movement of one end over the other end equal to the before-mentioned predetermined unit will result in a second position of registry.

HENRY LLOYD. Witnesses:

1. WHEELER, JNo. B. SHANNON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

